Denmark sends more soldiers to Greenland in response to Trump's threats

Tensions between Denmark and the United States continue to escalate. Following Donald Trump's repeated threats to invade Greenland, the Danish military increased its presence in the territory on Monday, according to Reuters. The Danish military says a plane will land Monday night in Kangerlussuaq—a settlement in western Greenland—and that this represents a "substantial contribution" of troops. Several European allies have already announced the deployment of more soldiers to Greenland and intend for the mission to have NATO support. But the Atlantic Alliance is under scrutiny. de facto by the United States, and therefore it is difficult to imagine a mission by the military entity aimed at defending itself against a potential US aggression. However, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who remains very close to the interests of the White House, expressed hope for a coordinated increase in the allies' military presence in the Arctic. "I hope we can establish a framework to carry this out," said the former Dutch Prime Minister. Beyond these words, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas; the Danish Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen; and the Greenlandic Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeld, appear to have gained nothing further from their meeting with Rutte this Monday in Brussels. Nevertheless, Kallas wanted to make it clear in a message on social media that the European allies do not intend to back down in the face of Trump's threats. "We have no interest in picking a fight, but we will stand firm in our position," the EU's foreign policy chief tweeted. It's worth remembering that it was following a military exercise on the island led by Danish troops, in which several militaries participated, that Trump threatened the eight participating states—including Germany, France, and the UK—with additional 10% tariffs starting next month. Starmer also says enough is enough.

Downing Street's appeasement of Trump has thus far proven not only a failure but also a humiliation. Keir Starmer believed that by fawning over the US president, even making him appear King Charles III almost like a servant For his enjoyment, it might contain the Republican's most authoritarian instincts. Nothing could be further from the truth.

And despite the "pragmatism" that, according to the British Prime Minister, governs London's policy in its relationship with the White House, Starmer has said enough. Or almost enough. And he has stood his ground, albeit timidly, in the face of Trump's threats to annex Greenland, "by hook or by crook." In an extraordinary appearance this Monday at Downing Street, the head of government reiterated: "There is one principle that cannot be ignored, because it lies at the heart of the functioning of stable and trustworthy international cooperation: any decision on the future status of Greenland belongs exclusively to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. This is a fundamental right."

Starmer, as he has done in the last forty-eight hours, also called the White House's announced imposition of tariffs on the seven countries—six from the European Union, plus the United Kingdom—that oppose them, misguided. "Alliances [referring to NATO] endure because they are based on respect and cooperation, not pressure. That's why I've said that using tariffs against allies is completely wrong," he said.

Later, the US president assured in a brief interview with NBC that he would follow through on his threat to impose the tariffs if he did not reach an agreement on Greenland. "100%," he said.

This confirmed that the pragmatism exhibited by Starmer, in the best British tradition, clashes with Donald Trump's desire to be an agent of chaos. Therefore, the language of premier It may sound somewhat naive when he says, "I speak regularly with President Trump… and mature alliances are not about pretending there are no differences, but about addressing them directly, respectfully, and with the aim of achieving results." And regarding Greenland, he stated, "The right way to deal with an issue of this gravity is through calm dialogue between allies." Offering a field for compromise, he also indicated, "Let's be clear: Greenland's security is important, and it will be even more so as climate change transforms the Arctic, shipping routes open up, and strategic competition intensifies. A stronger Atlantic." Starmer acknowledged that "the United States will be central to this effort," and offered the UK's cooperation to "contribute fully alongside its allies through NATO." Caution and de-escalation

The immediate question is whether the language of rationality and the best British diplomatic tradition will help Starmer temper Donald Trump. In any case, and with the intention of not escalating the crisis, the premier He has ruled out imposing tariffs as retaliation, at least for the time being. Showing extreme caution to avoid confrontational language, he reiterated: "A tariff war is in no one's interest, and we haven't reached that stage yet. My goal is to prevent it, and that's what I'm doing right now."

Over the weekend, the Prime Minister spoke with Trump, various European allies, including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to try to find a negotiated solution to the current crisis. premierFurthermore, he ruled out "opting for spectacle and [launching] an angry message on social media or a grandiose display that substitutes for serious work."

One of the common slogans touted in London is "the special relationship" that has united the United States and the United Kingdom since World War II. But it is a relationship of dependency. Starmer has also referred to this, with words that seemed to ignore all the actions of the Trump administration to undermine the alliance. in addition to destroying the European Union"The United States remains a close ally in defense, security, and intelligence, as well as in nuclear capabilities. We have worked very closely with the United States, and we must never lose sight of our national interest in this relationship. We must remember at all times that it is in our national interest to continue working with the Americans on defense, security, and intelligence."

This dependence has led him to recall, as is beginning to be discussed in many European capitals, the need for strategic autonomy for the continent in military matters. "I have argued—and this is not the first time I have done so today—and conveyed to allies and European leaders the need for Europe to step forward and assume greater responsibility for its own defense and security." "[For many years] we have not paid sufficient attention to what European nations can and should do for our own defense, which reinforces the importance of the progress we are making in this area," he stated.

Playing it safe – with excessive and unjustified praise for Trump's actions in Gaza and Ukraine – as usual with their American friend, Keir Starmer's appearance was yet another exercise in tightrope walking to avoid breaking with Washington and with the practice of Washington, Washington, and the World. It was the most expected outcome, and imagining words like Macron's – who spoke this weekend about the possibility of using a "bazooka" response of tariffs – seemed completely unrealistic. As is what Starmer said about the ties with the United States, since "the special relationship" is under the control of neither Downing Street nor Whitehall. Perhaps, in fact, it no longer exists, although London won't admit it.